Sermon on Colossians 3:1-4 for the Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Sunday. "Christ Who is Your Life!"
Outline for my Easter sermon. Sermon audio available on
1. The first resurrection appearance—a life-changing experience. Where their lives any different? We know they were! The women and disciples’ lives were forever changed—no returning to life as usual. New braveness, bold witnesses, new joy
a. That death had been defeated was not news that could casually be overlooked
b. Outside the realm of normal human experience, yet something that could and was completely experienced, seen, and understood by humans
2. What would you be doing now if Christ had not been raised? Where would your life be? What choices would you have made differently? But since Christ has been raised, has that changed your life? For those who believe in Him, the answer has to be Yes!
a. Colossians 3:1-4 you have been raised with Christ! How? In your baptism:
b. Colossians 2:11-12, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
c. Flesh died, sin died, sinful desires died with Christ in the cross, repentance
d. Raised in new life—Christ is your life. Faith in the powerful working of God. Heavenly thoughts, focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
e. Hope has taken hold of our lives—a hope that is confidently founded on God’s unbroken promises. Why is life changed? We have a future and a hope! Strength to face each day, peace that can’t be taken
3. A life set on earthly things will be unchanged. It is subject to the sad and broken world that is passing away. It cannot help but fret and worry about the things that it cherishes, and how they don’t last. Set your mind on things above.
a. Do we want to or even try to turn away from earthly things? Pursuing
b. Eyes focused on one goal (heaven), not two
c. Choosing earthly things instead of heavenly is like choosing a little trickle of water that will soon run out to satisfy our thirst for eternity, instead of the true and eternal fountain that is Christ Jesus—living water. Never thirst, water wells up inside you; baptism—hidden life;
4. But we have died to that, we die daily to sin in baptism and repentance
a. Don’t notice changes? Sin is still warring in you? Feeling conquered? Christ is your life, set your mind on Him—He is the new life hidden in you. He is the one who conquered sin for us, and He is the One who is able to conquer it in you
b. Christ is our life—He is not a segment of our life, but He is active in all parts of our lives, and demands and calls forth a human response in all areas of life….. “the Christian meaning system applies to all of life, not to a few gaps left over after the world has done its job.”
c. The new life that is hidden now will be fully revealed when Jesus returns—all the world will see that we are participants in this new life in Christ
d. Example of the palm cross: green and vibrant; tough fiber; quickly fading to dry and pale green; brittle, weak, disintegrating—cut out of the branch. Christian life is green and vibrant, tough and resistant to the challenges of life when in Christ the Vine—Christ who is our life. Removed from Christ, it doesn’t take long for us to become dry, brittle, lifeless. Color fades, “fiber” weakens. Stay rooted in Christ, nourished, fed. All areas of life, not just one—endurance.
5. You have been raised with Christ—baptized into Christ you are joined to your Risen Savior and His Resurrection Power. Celebrate Jesus’ life, but celebrate the new life you have in Him as well! Begun, not yet perfected, but hidden—but very much new and growing—to be perfected in glory. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
1. The first resurrection appearance—a life-changing experience. Where their lives any different? We know they were! The women and disciples’ lives were forever changed—no returning to life as usual. New braveness, bold witnesses, new joy
a. That death had been defeated was not news that could casually be overlooked
b. Outside the realm of normal human experience, yet something that could and was completely experienced, seen, and understood by humans
2. What would you be doing now if Christ had not been raised? Where would your life be? What choices would you have made differently? But since Christ has been raised, has that changed your life? For those who believe in Him, the answer has to be Yes!
a. Colossians 3:1-4 you have been raised with Christ! How? In your baptism:
b. Colossians 2:11-12, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
c. Flesh died, sin died, sinful desires died with Christ in the cross, repentance
d. Raised in new life—Christ is your life. Faith in the powerful working of God. Heavenly thoughts, focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
e. Hope has taken hold of our lives—a hope that is confidently founded on God’s unbroken promises. Why is life changed? We have a future and a hope! Strength to face each day, peace that can’t be taken
3. A life set on earthly things will be unchanged. It is subject to the sad and broken world that is passing away. It cannot help but fret and worry about the things that it cherishes, and how they don’t last. Set your mind on things above.
a. Do we want to or even try to turn away from earthly things? Pursuing
b. Eyes focused on one goal (heaven), not two
c. Choosing earthly things instead of heavenly is like choosing a little trickle of water that will soon run out to satisfy our thirst for eternity, instead of the true and eternal fountain that is Christ Jesus—living water. Never thirst, water wells up inside you; baptism—hidden life;
4. But we have died to that, we die daily to sin in baptism and repentance
a. Don’t notice changes? Sin is still warring in you? Feeling conquered? Christ is your life, set your mind on Him—He is the new life hidden in you. He is the one who conquered sin for us, and He is the One who is able to conquer it in you
b. Christ is our life—He is not a segment of our life, but He is active in all parts of our lives, and demands and calls forth a human response in all areas of life….. “the Christian meaning system applies to all of life, not to a few gaps left over after the world has done its job.”
c. The new life that is hidden now will be fully revealed when Jesus returns—all the world will see that we are participants in this new life in Christ
d. Example of the palm cross: green and vibrant; tough fiber; quickly fading to dry and pale green; brittle, weak, disintegrating—cut out of the branch. Christian life is green and vibrant, tough and resistant to the challenges of life when in Christ the Vine—Christ who is our life. Removed from Christ, it doesn’t take long for us to become dry, brittle, lifeless. Color fades, “fiber” weakens. Stay rooted in Christ, nourished, fed. All areas of life, not just one—endurance.
5. You have been raised with Christ—baptized into Christ you are joined to your Risen Savior and His Resurrection Power. Celebrate Jesus’ life, but celebrate the new life you have in Him as well! Begun, not yet perfected, but hidden—but very much new and growing—to be perfected in glory. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
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